Time Warp

Living fully engaged.
IN the moment.

Intentionally.

Travelling back in time.
All the way back to the
days before computers.
At least to the days before
MY computer.

Living according to HIS plan
for me ~

Just. This. Day.
By HIS Grace.


I'm taking a little hiatus
from email, gmail, internet,
blogging ~
online anything.

Just a little break from this.

But, not forever ~
Just for about a month.

This means that any comments
you may choose to leave
will be published at the end of
my time away from this screen.
At that time, my plan is to
reconnect with all of you.
Thank you for understanding!

(I do *L*O*V*E* to hear from you ~
Please let me know that you stopped by.)

If you have my phone number,
please feel free to call ~
Let's get together! :)

In the meantime,
I'd like to leave you with a beautiful
passage of Scripture ~

"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace."
~ Numbers 6:24-26 ~

See you in about a month ~
LORD-willing!

In HIS Love,
Camille


**Photo credit ~ Calvin

Special Delivery

Birthday Roses...

Hand Delivered...

With Love...

Thank you Dad! xo

Salty Caramel Anyone?

Are you a salty caramel person?
If so, this is the ice cream for you!

Come on over and I will
serve you some with a smile ~
That is, if there is any left! ;-)

Sweet.
Salty.
Yum.


It is time consuming.
And fussy.
And a bit tricky.

BUT...
worth it!
(In my opinion, of course).

After reading about this ice cream
on David Lebovitz' blog,
I knew I had to give it a try.

Do you have an ice cream maker yet?
Hurry...summer is waiting.
And so are your family and friends.

Quick!

This is the one I have.
Gifted to me from my family
for Mother's Day.

(A little tip ~ Amazon's prices fluctuate...
check back periodically for the best deal).

It's been a fun journey.
A person could get used to
having ice cream daily.

I know.


Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream ~
Oh. Dear. Me!

ENJOY!
And...don't blame me
if you become addicted to
its creamy saltiness! ;-)

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Links are working....

Baked Berry Almond Oatmeal

Y.U.M.M.Y.

SO good!

It was a hit all around.
And the boy who can NEVER get filled up...
did! :)

Click Here to find the recipe ~
You will need to scroll about half-way down
the post to locate it.
It's worth the hunt! :)

FYI ~ I doubled the recipe to serve my family...
using two pans of the 7" x 11" variety.
AND...I used old fashioned oats
and thawed raspberries (they had been frozen).

Enjoy!
Blessings,
Camille

Day After Day

Time flies.  That's not a surprise, is it?
It's like this for all of us.
Seize the day!  Enjoy the moments!

One of the ways I seek to do this is by counting.
Numbering the blessings.
Treasuring up the moments.  Day after day.
By HIS grace.  For HIS glory.

They are all gifts from HIS hand.


1432. Evidence of children in our home

1433. Stocking up

1434. My custom-made budget in excel...
Howie created it for me years ago and I *love* it!

1435. Licorice Mint Tea

1436. Random games of Uno

1437. A quick trip to the pool for the two youngest...
free swimming and all done in less than an hour


1438. Swimming lessons for Fraser and Emma

1439. That the pool is just around the corner and we can walk


1440. Chocolate!

1441. Getting the hang of this diet

1442. That it's helping

1443. Teaching boy #3 how to make grilled cheese sandwiches

1444. That tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it yet!

1445. That the LORD always forgives and meets us in our need
and gives us grace and mercy.

1446. Warm sun...it's been teasing us!

1447. "Bonus Time" available to use...thank you S and L!

1448. Pineapples from my Dad ~ Thank you Dad! :)

1449. A phone chat with my sister

1450. Listening to Fraser play "The Pink Panther" on the piano

1451. Flowers from Calvin..."just because"...so sweet! :)

1452. Listening to
Diana Waring's History CD's ~ W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L.

1453. Learning with the children

1454. Marvelling at God's hand in history
and how it all comes *alive* when taught from
a Biblical standpoint

1455. Frozen meals prepared in advance and
using them when they are most needed

1456. School's Done

1457. Completing another year of homeschool

1458. The change of pace summer brings

My journal sits on my counter.

I list as events unfold. Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.  Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal, set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~ as they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!
Many Blessings, Camille

To Encourage

Simply Scripture.
To encourage.


"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?"
~ Psalm 27:1 ~

"Wait on the LORD:
be of good courage,
and he shall stenghten thine heart:
wait, I say, on the LORD."
~ Psalm 27:14 ~

"Blessed be the LORD,
because he hath heard the
voice of my supplications.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusted in him,
and I am helped:
therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;
and with my song will I praise him."
~ Psalm 28:6-7 ~

I'll be taking a little blogging break for
the next few days.

May the LORD bless each
one of you this weekend!
In HIS Love,
Camille

**Photo Credit ~ Emma

T.W.E.N.T.Y.

It's not REALLY possible
that we have been married for 20 years...is it??
Time marches on.
We are growing old together.

On our wedding day we sang Steve Green's song

"I Cherish the Treasure of You" to one another.

Little did we know that in

the midst of our joys and blessings,

there would be trials.  Difficult days.

Heartache and sorrow.

And through it all, we would grow to love more.

Deeper.  Stronger.  Little did we know.

 Oh how FAITHFUL our Great God is!!

HE is the ONE Who keeps us.

HE is the ONE Who sustains us.

HE is the ONE Who gives us life.

All praise and glory to HIS Great Name!

If I'd known then what I know now,

I would have married my Sweetheart MUCH sooner.

AND I wouldn't have given him as

much trouble as I did! :)

Psalm 91 is our Life-Psalm together.

It has been a great source of comfort and blessing over the years.

We are so thankful to belong to the LORD!

HE alone is worthy of all our praise.

Many blessings,

Camille

A Little Local Getaway

We were going to do it all in one day.

Drive up (early) to Whistler (3 hours away) ~
Howie would be busy with work while I wandered around the village
with the children for the day ~ and then, we would drive back home
(late) that night.  But...

Howie's sister and husband
kindly allow us to use their time-share when it's available.
And...it was available! :)
So...we had a little two night getaway at the end
of our school year.  We are thankful!

We arrived on the first night just in time to see the Canucks
(our hockey team) lose game seven of the
Stanley Cup playoffs to Boston.  A sad day.

Howie worked the next day.  We explored.

The 2010 Olympics were held in Vancouver.

One of the venues for ski events was Whistler Mountain.

We went to the top and found this bobsled.

A perfect photo opportunity ~ no?

We rode the "Peak 2 Peak" Gondola.

Oh. Dear. Me.  What an experience!

Fear of heights anyone?

The view from up there...God's magnificent creation!

We discovered the Olympic Rings

at the edge of Whistler Village.

Howie was able to join us the last day we were there...

We found the torch! :)

The drive provides breathtaking views.

So beautiful!

1426. A couple of nights away as a family ~

joining Howie on a business trip.

1427. Enjoying the outdoors with the children

1428. Canoeing and Kayaking together for an hour

1429. Spotting and eagle ~

Calvin was able to get some great shots with his zoom lens! :)

1430. The majesty of the mountains ~

I never tire of their beauty

1431. New experiences and sharing them with our children

My journal sits on my counter.

I list as events unfold.  Sometimes many all at once,

and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?  Just grab a pen and a journal,

set them out on the counter, and list out your blessings.

Find the joy in the moments ~ as they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings, Camille

**All photos in this post

courtesy of our newest photographer...Emma! :)

What Lies Do We Believe?

Lies.
They are *out there*.
But, they are also *in here*.

We listen to them.
We invite them to stay.

Why?

It's easier to listen to ourselves ~
To entertain lies rather than Truth.

Truth comes from God's Word.

Have we memorized it?
Hidden it in our hearts?
Does it shape our thinking?
Or are we allowing the World to do that?

Oh, how easy it is to just follow the crowd.
Go with the flow.
Take the *broad road*
rather than the narrow one.

How should our thoughts be formed,
and by Whom?

"...whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things."
~ Philippians 4:8 ~

Does this describe my thought life?
Too often, I would have to say no.

Only the LORD can give us this perspective.
Only as we fill our minds with Truth can
we be free from the bondage of lies.

"Oh how I love thy law!
it is my meditation all the day.
Thou through thy commandments hast
made me wiser than mine enemies:
for they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all
my teachers: for thy testimonies
are my meditation."
~ Psalm 119:97-99 ~

Oh that this would be true of me!
May the LORD help us all to value
HIS Word above the *wisdom* of man.
Only by HIS Grace is this possible.
How wonderful it is that HE leads
us so gently along!

Many blessings to you each one!
In HIM,
Camille

Dessert for Breakfast!

White flour.
White sugar.
Icing sugar.
Butter.
Heavy Cream.

Orange Cranberry Scones.


Like I said...dessert!

They are
Y.U.M.M.Y.

Jennifer Jo and I must have
similar taste buds.
I always enjoy her recipes.
And this, again,
was no exception.


I'm sending you to Jennifer Jo's
place for the recipe.
Click here to get there ~
Enjoy!

Occasionally.
*Wink*

24/7

Twitter.  Facebook.  Email.
Gmail.  Blogs.  Internet.

Computers.  Cell Phones.
Blackberries.  Ipods.


Always available.  Always on call.  24/7.
No end.  No break.  No rest.  No peace.


B.U.T.

We are commanded to *be still and know*...
How is this possible, unless we are intentional about the time
spent in front of these screens?
Intentional about time spent at HIS feet?

Some of my online friends have discontinued blogging.
Some have burned out.  Others have decided it's too
costly for a variety of reasons.

I understand.

I don't Tweet.  I just deactivated my Facebook.
I don't have a Blackberry or an Ipod.
We do have a cell ~ it is usually turned off. :)

I do have Email and Gmail.  I do have a blog ~
(if you are here...you are aware of that)!
But, I don't want any of these things to control me.
I want to be in control of them.

By God's Grace.

HE is able.  I look to HIM for the strength
to keep things in balance.  Do I do it perfectly?  No.
Am I seeking to follow HIM in it all?  Yes.


How do you manage your online life?
What safeguards do you have in place so it doesn't overtake you?
It would be a blessing to read how you are handling it.
I'm sure many will be encouraged.  Me included.

May the LORD help us all to live for HIS glory in everything.
Might we be pleasing to HIM in all that we do.

By HIS Grace.

Many Blessings, Camille


*Update ~ My husband sent me this link...
good food for thought!

Grain Free?

This is something new to me.
I never thought I would have to
drop the grains!
I actually didn't think it was overly
*do-able*.
But, it is!

Rather than re-invent the wheel,
so to speak,
I will just send you on over to
Keeper of the Home.

Click Here to get to her
most recent post on building
a grain free pantry.
It's an excellent starting point.


Just one thing I would like to clarify ~
We are not all *grain-free* around here.
Our child with Crohn's
is the only one who MUST
keep to this strict diet.

Although, I must admit,
I feel better when I follow
this way of eating.
I am thankful that I can serve *regular*
bread to the rest of the family.
God's mercies are new every morning!

Many blessings,
Camille

Yogurt Anyone?

Ease of operation.

I'm trying to do things in
a straightforward and streamlined way.

Saves the sanity.

Yogurt is a necessary part of the
healing process for
Crohn's Disease
according to the book
"Breaking the Vicious Cycle".

I never thought I would make yogurt.
It was not on my radar.
Not, that is, until this happened.

I am committed to doing all I can
to facilitate healing for our child.

Part of that is making yogurt.

In an effort to keep things simple,
I bought a yogurt maker.
I try to stay away from plastic as much as
possible, so I bought the glass jar that fits the yogurt maker.
I also buy the starters 12 boxes at a time.

The method is simple.

You heat the required amount of milk (1 litre or 2)
in a pot to simmering.
It should be 180 degrees ~ use a thermometer.

Then plunge the pot into a sink of cold water.

Stir while the milk cools ~
it should be lower than 100 degrees.

Mix about 1/2 cup of milk into the starter.
(Use 5 grams of starter for 1 litre
and 10 grams of starter for 2 litres)
Whisk it until dissolved.
Add the remaining milk and stir well.
Pour into your yogurt maker liner.

Seal.

Lower into the yogurt maker.
Make sure you put water in the yogurt maker up
to the lower line for a 1 litre batch and the upper
line for a 2 litre batch.

Put the lid of the yogurt maker on.
Plug it in.

Let it sit on your counter
fermenting for at least 24 hours,
but no longer than 32 hours.
(This longer incubation time
is to produce a lactose-free yogurt ~
Important for the *SCD).
If you do not require a lactose-free product,
your incubation time will be about 12 hours.

Once the time is up,
remove the yogurt batch
from the yogurt maker and
set gently in the fridge for 8 hours to cool.

To serve, spoon some yogurt into a bowl,
drizzle with a little honey
and add berries to taste.

You will have probiotics in a bowl ~
what a fabulous way to incorporate them into the diet! :)

Do you make yogurt?
Would you like to begin?
I'd enjoy hearing your yogurt stories.

Many blessings,
Camille

*SCD ~ Specific Carbohydrate Diet
as explained in "Breaking the Vicious Cycle"

Fixing Our Eyes

Fixing our eyes.

Not on ourselves.
Not on others.
Not on our Faith.
Not on our Faithfulness.

On the LORD.

HE alone is worthy.
HE alone is able.
HE alone is perfect.


We have nothing to fear.
Nothing to doubt.
Nothing to fret about.

How quickly our eyes lose focus.
How quickly our hearts grow cold.
How quickly we grow weary.

Yet, HE never loses HIS grip.

It is not about our hold on HIM.
It is all about HIS hold on us!
HE is always Faithful.
Even though we fail.

We must continually
remind ourselves to
look to HIM.
We must continually
fill our minds and hearts
with HIM.


We often respond like Peter did.
We only see the troubles.
The waves.
The storms of life.

But, the LORD is IN the storm.
HE has us in HIS perfect care.
We have nothing to fear
when HE is in control.

Look to HIM and live!

"Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith;
Who for the joy that
was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God."
~ Hebrews 12:2 ~

Many Blessings to you each one!
In HIS Love,
Camille

You Might be Mothering Teenage Boys if...

Your *big* cooking pot (8Qt) from your newlywed days
is only just the right size to reheat food
or make lunch in.

You have invested in *industrial* sized
cooking equipment so you *might* have leftovers.

You routinely multiply recipes

four or five times.

Your life seems to revolve around food!

You buy three 5 pound blocks of

cheese and hope they last the month.

Your fridge has over T.H.I.R.T.E.E.N. dozen eggs in it...

and you do not have any chickens in the back yard!

The Costco cashiers think you are buying

for a store.

You dedicate a laundry hamper to socks ONLY!

You fill your washing machine with socks

because you refuse to wash them with anything else.

S.T.E.R.I.L.I.Z.E. is the setting of choice.

Wrestling matches routinely take

place in the living room and kitchen...

with Dad! :)

A.N.D.

You are taken care of.

You are watched out for.

You are loved and cherished.

You have the opportunity to

be used to shape boys into men...

with God's equipping.

What an incredible gift to be mothering

this next generation of men!

May God give grace and patience day by day.

HE alone is able!

If any of you, dear friends,

are in this same boat ~

Be encouraged...it is a noble calling.

The LORD will give all that

is needed as we seek HIM for the wisdom

to do the task well ~

For HIS glory!

What a blessing that HE never

leaves us to ourselves.

What a blessing that HE is

Faithful even when we are not!

Let's keep our eyes fixed on HIM.

Many blessings,

Camille

Above and Below

On Auntie Mary's recent visit,
we had the opportunity to have her
stay with us in our home for a few days.
All to ourselves!

We planned a day trip to Seattle
to do some of the *touristy*
things we had not done before as a family.
Auntie Mary had never travelled that far
South into the USA.
It was a new experience for us all.

As we approached the city
we had a view of the Space Needle ~
the icon of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

Our first stop was not this landmark,
but rather, the underground.

Apparently, the city was originally built on
unstable ground and after a devastating fire,
was rebuilt using retaining walls and pilings
driven deep into the mud to find solid ground.

While the rebuilding took place,
life continued on in the city.
Although they knew that the ground floor
of the new buildings would eventually be covered up,
they conducted business as usual.

Once all the retaining walls were in place
the second storey became ground level,
and the first storey went underground.

In order to light the passageways below,
*skylights* were installed.

This is the view from underneath the sidewalk
where the glass is embedded in the cement.
Unfortunately, I don't have a photo
of this from above.

Every so often, we would emerge
at street level and then descend
another flight of stairs to get to
the next portion of the underground.

Toward the end of our tour,
we were shown this *water pipe* ~
It was hewn out of wood!
Imagine the troubles that would cause!

The second purpose of our trip
was to go up the Space Needle.

The observation level is over 500 feet above the city
and provides a spectacular 360 degree view.
We all enjoyed it very much!

Calvin was shooting helicopters and airplanes ~
Of course! :)

The required *group shot* was taken ~
L to R: Calvin, Austin, Fraser, Auntie Mary,
Emma, Camille and Howie.

The view from above the city.

A glorious sunset on the long drive home.

We said our goodbyes to Auntie Mary
the following afternoon at the airport.
We all miss her very much!
But, we are so thankful for
the special times we were able to share together.
God is so gracious with us, isn't HE?

I am taking a little blogging break until next week.
If any of you should choose to leave a comment
(I do *love* to hear from you!) ~
I will plan to publish them when I am back
*in the loop*.

Many blessings to you each one!
In HIS Love,
Camille